Data mapping service

Abstract

Data mapping techniques are disclosed. A representation of a first destination data field to which data is to be mapped is provided via a displayed user interface. One or more other destination data fields are not displayed at the same time as the first destination data field is displayed. A user input comprising a selection of a source data input field to be used to determine a data value for the first destination field is received. The displayed user interface is updated to include a representation of the selected source data input field and a control, wherein user interface code with which the displayed user interface is associated is responsive to provide via the displayed user interface a set of structurally valid options to further define how the data value for the first destination field is to be determined.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of mapping data to destination database table fields from source database table fields, comprising:
 providing via a displayed user interface a representation of a first destination data field to which the data is to be mapped, wherein the first destination data field is included in a plurality of destination data fields to which a set of source data is to be mapped, and one or more other destination data fields included in the plurality of destination data fields are not displayed at the same time as the first destination data field is displayed; 
 receiving a user input comprising a selection of a source data input field to be used to determine a data value for the first destination field; 
 updating, in response to the user input, the displayed user interface to include a representation of the selected source data input field and an insertion point control immediately following the representation of the selected source data input field; 
 providing, in response to a user selection on the insertion point control, via the displayed user interface a set of structurally valid options to further define how the data value for the first destination field is to be determined based on at least one other data value from the source database table fields, wherein the displayed user interface is updated to prevent a selection of an option that is not valid to insert immediately following the representation of the selected source data input field based at least in part on a current state of a data mapping definition as defined up to an insertion point of the insertion point control; 
 receiving a second user input comprising a selection of a structurally valid option from the set of structurally valid options to be used to determine the data value for the first destination field; 
 updating the displayed user interface, in response to the second user input, to include a representation of the selected structurally valid option following the representation of the selected source data input field, an identification of combining the selected structurally valid option with the selected source data input field, and a second insertion point control immediately following the identification of combining in a successive order; 
 providing, in response to a user selection on the second insertion point control, via the displayed user interface a second set of structurally valid options that are structurally valid to insert immediately following the identification of combining based at least in part on the current state of the data mapping definition as defined up to an insertion point of the second insertion point control; and 
 mapping the data to the first destination field according to the mapping definition determined based at least in part on the user input and the second user input; 
 the data mapping definition determined based on a valid change of the first destination data field, attributes of the selected source data input field, and other attributes of the first destination data field; 
 each option of the structurally valid options enables use of the source data input field to determine the data value of the first destination data field, the structurally valid options determined based on the data mapping definition. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displayed user interface further includes a displayed set of one or more input data fields, each of said input data fields comprising a data value included in a set of source data. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an identification of a destination data store to which source data associated with a set of source data is to be mapped; and 
 accessing the destination data store to determine the plurality of destination data fields to which source data associated with the set of source data is to be mapped. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of structurally valid options is determined based at least in part on a display location at which the insertion point control is displayed within the displayed user interface. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the set of structurally valid options is determined based at least in part on where the display location at which the insertion point control is displayed relative to displayed information representing one or more steps of the data mapping definition currently displayed in the displayed user interface. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of source data comprises a hierarchically structured set of data having a lowest level comprising a plurality of data value bearing leaf nodes, each of which is a child node of one or more parent nodes at locations higher in a hierarchy of the set of source data; and further comprising including in the set of structurally valid options an option to insert one or more source data input fields, and for each displaying as non-selectable context data an indication of the one or more parent nodes of which the source data input field is a child node. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of structurally valid options includes one or more options to transform data. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of structurally valid options includes one or more options to perform an operation with respect to data. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the operation comprises an operation to combine an indicated value with an intermediate result. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the indicated value comprises a user entered set of one or more characters. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the indicated value comprises a user selected source data input field. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising updating the displayed user interface to display a representation of the indicated value in a first display location and to display in a second location following the first display location in processing order a representation of an operator associated with combining the intermediate result and the indicated value. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displayed user interface provides to a user the ability to define successive steps to be performed to determine the data value for the first destination field; and further comprising using a postfix notation to display via the displayed user interface information representing the successive steps. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising enabling the displayed user interface to be used to define in successive iterations additional processing steps to be performed to define how the data value for the first destination field is to be determined. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an indication to perform and display via the displayed user interface a test run of a data mapping definition that has been defined via the displayed user interface. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising generating or otherwise obtaining a test record associated with the set of source data; performing a set of process steps that have been defined using the displayed user interface; and displaying in respective locations associated with each of the processing steps an intermediate or final result, as applicable, determined up to that point in the set of processing steps as defined based on the test record. 
     
     
       17. A system of mapping data to destination database table fields from source database table fields, comprising: a display device; and
 a processor coupled to the display device and configured to: 
 provide via a displayed user interface a representation of a first destination data field to which data is to be mapped, wherein the first destination data field is included in a plurality of destination data fields to which a set of source data is to be mapped, and one or more other destination data fields included in the plurality of destination data fields are not displayed at the same time as the first destination data field is displayed; 
 receive a user input comprising a selection of a source data input field to be used to determine a data value for the first destination field; 
 update, in response to the user input, the displayed user interface to include a representation of the selected source data input field and an insertion point control immediately following the representation of the selected source data input field; 
 provide, in response to a user selection on the insertion point control, via the displayed user interface a set of structurally valid options to further define how the data value for the first destination field is to be determined based on at least one other data value from the source database table fields, wherein the displayed user interface is updated to prevent a selection of an option that is not valid to insert immediately following the representation of the selected source data input field based at least in part on a current state of a data mapping definition as defined up to an insertion point of the insertion point control; 
 receive a second user input comprising a selection of a structurally valid option from the set of structurally valid options to be used to determine the data value for the first destination field; 
 update the displayed user interface, in response to the second user input, to include a representation of the selected structurally valid option following the representation of the selected source data input field, an identification of combining the selected structurally valid option with the selected source data input field, and a second insertion point control immediately following the identification of combining in a successive order; 
 provide, in response to a user selection on the second insertion point control, via the displayed user interface a second set of structurally valid options that are structurally valid to insert immediately following the identification of combining based at least in part on the current state of the data mapping definition as defined up to an insertion point of the second insertion point control; and 
 map the data to the first destination field according to the mapping definition determined based at least in part on the user input and the second user input; 
 the data mapping definition determined based on a valid change of the first destination data field, attributes of the selected source data input field, and other attributes of the first destination data field; 
 each option of the structurally valid options enables use of the source data input field to determine the data value of the first destination data field, the structurally valid options determined based on the data mapping definition. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the set of structurally valid options is determined based at least in part on a display location at which the control is displayed within the displayed user interface; and wherein the set of structurally valid options is determined based at least in part on where the display location at which the insertion point control is displayed relative to displayed information representing one or more steps of the data mapping definition currently displayed in the displayed user interface. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the set of structurally valid options includes one or more options to transform data. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the set of structurally valid options includes one or more options to perform an operation with respect to data. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the set of source data comprises a hierarchically structured set of data having a lowest level comprising a plurality of data value bearing leaf nodes, each of which is a child node of one or more parent nodes at locations higher in a hierarchy of the set of source data; and further comprising including in the set of structurally valid options an option to insert one or more source data input fields, and for each displaying as non-selectable context data an indication of the one or more parent nodes of which the source data input field is a child node. 
     
     
       22. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for mapping data to destination database table fields from source database table fields, the computer instructions configured to:
 providing via a displayed user interface a representation of a first destination data field to which data is to be mapped, wherein the first destination data field is included in a plurality of destination data fields to which a set of source data is to be mapped, and one or more other destination data fields included in the plurality of destination data fields are not displayed at the same time as the first destination data field is displayed; 
 receiving a user input comprising a selection of a source data input field to be used to determine a data value for the first destination field; 
 updating, in response to the user input, the displayed user interface to include a representation of the selected source data input field and an insertion point control immediately following the representation of the selected source data input field; 
 providing, in response to a user selection on the insertion point control, via the displayed user interface a set of structurally valid options to further define how the data value for the first destination field is to be determined based on at least one other data value from the source database table fields, wherein the displayed user interface is updated to prevent a selection of an option that is not valid to insert immediately following the representation of the selected source data input field based at least in part on a current state of a data mapping definition as defined up to an insertion point of the insertion point control; 
 receiving a second user input comprising a selection of a structurally valid option from the set of structurally valid options to be used to determine the data value for the first destination field; 
 updating the displayed user interface, in response to the second user input, to include a representation of the selected structurally valid option following the representation of the selected source data input field, an identification of combining the selected structurally valid option with the selected source data input field, and a second insertion point control immediately following the identification of combining in a successive order; 
 providing, in response to a user selection on the second insertion point control, via the displayed user interface a second set of structurally valid options that are structurally valid to insert immediately following the identification of combining based at least in part on the current state of the data mapping definition as defined up to an insertion point of the second insertion point control; and 
 mapping the data to the first destination field according to the mapping definition determined based at least in part on the user input and the second user input; 
 the data mapping definition determined based on a valid change of the first destination data field, attributes of the selected source data input field, and other attributes of the first destination data field; 
 each option of the structurally valid options enables use of the source data input field to determine the data value of the first destination data field, the structurally valid options determined based on the data mapping definition.